Digital images often have a greater range of luminance between light and dark areas of the scene than can be captured and viewed on traditional electronic and computer displays and paper prints. In the current art, digital image enhancement techniques require capturing multiple low dynamic range (“LDR”) images at different exposure levels (i.e., “brackets”) and merging elements of each exposure to create a single high dynamic range (“HDR”) image. LDR images do not exceed a luminance ratio of 225:1, which is common for most commercial cameras and image formats (e.g., jpg, tiff, RAW, and the like). HDR imaging is a term generally used to describe the following: a given image with luminance ratios above 225:1, the technique of merging multiple exposures, and the resulting single digital image.
Practical considerations in this process limit HDR techniques to only those sensors capable of rapidly capturing multiple images at varying exposure levels. In addition, full motion video cannot be processed efficiently because multiple exposures are not captured when the video is recorded.
Accordingly, what is needed is an improved process for converting single LDR or HDR images into a form that can be shown on traditional electronic and computer displays and paper prints.